Evaluation of the impact of pharmaceutical care in an Air Force pulmonary clinic

• Main Author: Salem, Hanaa Ahmed
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1996
• Subjects: Pharmaceuticals; Health and environmental sciences
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2630; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3629&context=uop_etds

Evaluation of the Pulmonary Ambulatory Care Clinic at David Grant Medical Center was an attempt to explore several questions that surround the care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to assess the role and impact of pharmacists providing pharmaceutical care in an Air Force Medical Center. Four experimental designs were implemented. Thirty-eight ambulatory patients with COPD were randomized into a control group or into a program where pharmacists resolved drug-related problems (DRPs) and educated patients about optimal drug use and management of exacerbations. The groups were evaluated prospectively at baseline, three months and six months for the presence of DRPs, quality of life (QOL) scores, and health care resource utilization (HCRU) parameters. Significant improvements in Health Status Questionnaire scores of study group were at three (F = 4.56, p = 0.04) and six months (F = 3.84, p = 0.05). Chronic Respiratory Disease Index questionnaire scores significantly improved in study group at three months in fatigue category (F = 5.35, p = 0.02). Disease State Knowledge Test scores significantly improved at three (F = 3.90, p = 0.04) and six months (F = 13.37, p = 0.001) in study group. Twenty-two DRPs were resolved. The study group realized significant reductions in mean numbers of physician visits (F = 8.12, p $<$ 0.05), and emergency room visits (F = 5.41, p $<$ 0.05) at three and six months respectively. Mean number of physician visits in study group during six-month period was significantly lower prospectively than retrospectively (T = 3.56, p = 0.003) in the single subject design study. Retrospective study of seventy patients showed that mean numbers of chronic medications (F = 6.57, p $<$ 0.05) and pulmonary hospitalizations (F = 4.08, p $<$ 0.05) were significantly lower in mild patients than severe patients. These results of this four-part study design, showed that patient education and resolution of DRPs improved patients' QOL and increased their knowledge about their disease states. Teaching patients how to manage exacerbation resulted in a decrease in health care visits in this patient population. Categorization of severity by pulmonologist coincided with patients' utilization of HCRs.